Huff! Huff! Huff!
I...I didn't notice him at all. When was he, when was he...behind me? How long was he...waiting for? I can't think clearly...! Was I...that predictable? Did he...anticipate my movements? Shit! What...what do I do now?
My body...I can't move. It hurts all over. It felt heavy...My whole body felt heavy. I couldn't get up. The footsteps...they were getting ever so closer. I was desperate...desperate to move my body. Hina! That's right. I tried to look around for her. She was nowhere to be seen. Argh! Why? Why of all times now! Argh, I should have...I should have warned her! Fuck this! Move! Move, you stupid body!
"It's a pleasure meeting you...Dare I say, it's nice to meet you in flesh for the first time, and hopefully, the last time..."
"Who...are...you?!"
"Oh, my! Even in such a sorry state, you still refuse to go down. I must give you my compliments. Here!"
I could feel a stomp to my back, and it didn't stop with one...two...three...
Argh!
"Come on, cry out, you filthy bastard! To think that I'd have to take her away from the likes of you...Ah, how thy mighty has fallen to the realm of the weak and commoners?!"
He started spouting some relic language. Oh, wait! That was English. My bad, he made it sound like that. After a while, the stomping had come to a halt.
"Haah! Are you a cockroach?! Just die already!"
So, he was stomping me as the equivalent of a cockroach. Ugh! Ew! To think there'd be a day like this where my petty existence would be lowered down to the realm of an insect, and of that kind, it's quite sad. But that being said, cockroaches can survive a nuclear blast, that's what I've read. So, it was a compliment in a way.
I dragged my body and caught his leg.
"Oi! I asked you something. Who are you?"
He didn't like me holding him, as he kicked me off and mercilessly started to try to beat me, after pouncing upon me suddenly. But, to his dismay, I was good in close combat, as I was already protecting myself from his barrage of strikes. If there's one thing, he uses his power to break his opponent down than break his opponent down psychologically.
It was a battle of endurance at this point! I definitely had to survive the onslaught that was being showered upon me. But, for how long? How long can I stay like this?
'HINA WILL DIE!
AND HER BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS!'
Those words echoed inside me over and over again...
HINA WILL DIE! HINA WILL DIE! HINA WILL DIE! HINA...HINA...HINA...
Argh! Stop it! I get it. I know what I have to do!
...
"Naofumi, take this!"
The bloke who never introduced himself but asked me to protect her tossed over a paper bag.
"Yikes!"
I had almost dropped it. It was heavy for some reason.
"What's this? A grenade?"
"Pfft...Haha...Oh my, you do have a nice sense of humor. I've pretty much taken a liking for you at this point."
"Ew! Please stop! I would have been pretty happy if that came from a senpai who was a girl, not a guy. Please, don't hurt this fragile heart with things like that! On that note, senpai...Can you introduce me to your lady friends? I mean, at least there must be one girl who can befriend me right? There is still hope in this world, right? Right?!"
For one, my sense of humor wasn't that great. I know that. Secondly, I hate to admit it, but he had a pretty good set of female friends. Normally, it should be impossible for me to even talk with them because of their social standing. But, if this person were to introduce me, then there'd be progress! Why? Well, that's easy. A handsome guy with the looks of a model and a body of an endurance sport athlete wouldn't have these many lady friends if it weren't for one simple reason. Each and every one of them wanted to be his girlfriend. They didn't want to be just friends and casually hand out with him. That was pretty obvious from the start.
I may not be interested in this stuff, but I do notice these subtle gestures. Well, c'mon! I'm a teenager at the end of the day, and it's only a given that even I would be interested in my beautiful seniors. Who wouldn't be? If you're one of them who's not interested in this stuff, then I feel sorry for your soul and your existence.
"You know, you're too confident of yourself to think that you'd even have the time to relax and enjoy with a girl. Things are going to change in ways you can't even comprehend. Though, if all goes well, I might be able to pull a few strings and help you out."
"Oh, now I'm intrigued. Sign me up!"
"I'm quite astounded by you. Truly. Even though you have a girl like Hina with you, you don't bother much about her, and yet you only agree to this deal because I said I'm going to introduce you to one of my friends. I can't understand what kind of person you are. You frighten me."
"Well, spare me the praises. On that note, what's this?"
I held the paper bag to his face.
"Oh, that! Consider it as a gift. Sooner or later, it'll definitely be of great help to you."
"Is this something you should be handing out to a novice like me?"
"Novice? Haha...Don't crack jokes at such a serious time."
His gentle voice turned serious and apathetic, this is a recurring theme for me though.
"Who are you trying to fool?"
...
"Aaahhh!"
I knew that he was putting all his energy and power into this attack.
But unlike before, he was slow. And he was struggling to be on his feet. There, that's the opening I was waiting for.
I pulled it out and smashed him in the gut!
"ARGHHHHHHHH! It hurts...It hurts...It hurts!"
He was barely able to stand on his knees.
"Why? Why is it that I'm on the ground, just from one attack, even if you're using a prop? I'm a former taekwondo champion. I have my own world-class school. I was summoned to squash a peasant like you. You shouldn't have been a nuisance, and yet...and yet, why is it that I'm in fear!"
He sounded like a scared little pup.
"Sorry, old man! It's nothing personal! It was a pleasure meeting you...for the first and last time..."
"Huh?!"
I retuned a huge load of attacks with my right fist, and it was soon covered in blood.
It was time for me to clear the debt.
"Oi! Oi! Wait...No, don't use that. It's unfair, and a cheap ploy. Don't...Don't come close...Please, anything but that...Anything but those brass knuckles."
He desperately tried to crawl back, while I was walking towards him, and with each heavy step, fear resonated through his whole body. I stopped dead in my tracks, lifted my hand, pointed out my thumb and rubbed my lip covered in blood, and licked it.
"Aah! Ecstasy!"
At this point, he lost all his sanity!
"You're a monster! A monster! No, I have to go. Spare me, I have a family...I must return."
Family? He's on the street in a fight he started and yet...Pathetic!
"Oh, is that so? Then this monster shall end your suffering."
Uwahh!
"No!...No!...No!...No!!!!"
...
"WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL, NAOFUMI? OR SHOULD I SAY, THE FORMER MIXED MARTIAL ARTS PRODIGY!"